Office of International
Law and Policy

Asst. Dean Lydia Lazar

Fall 2005 - International Events

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Silver Lining in Iraq and Katrina Debacles?

Posted September 27,2005:
Even as we uncover the full magnitude of the federal
and local government failures in preparing for and responding
to Katrina, we must keep our attention focused on the administration's
rapid enlistment of private entities to solve problems not
only in Louisiana but also in Iraq. As the New York Times
and others are now reporting, the normal safeguards against
price gouging on bids for government work are not working
due to the exigency of the situation(s), the political opportunism
of the Bush administration and its particular form of crony
capitalism, and the unsurprisingly voracious appetite of
private businesses to profit at the expense of the American
taxpayer.